BLESSO DRIVE ON

Useful looking outfit win in Coolboy

BLESSINGTON COOLBOY 2-12 1-05

BLESSINGTON moved up to join Dunlavin at the top of the Division 2 table in the SFL with this win over Coolboy on Easter Monday.

The match was played on Coolboy's new pitch at Coolafancy where, if the match is not up to standard, one always has the magnificent scenery to admire.

When the wind blows up there it really blows. And that factor was to prove enough to play havoc with his game as a contest.

Blessington were playing into the teeth of that wind in the first half. They grabbed a couple of early goals - one the direct result of the wind, and were then able to sit on that lead up to half time.

The lucky point looked certain to be going over the bar but the wind brought it down and it dipped just under.

At the other end Coolboy were having great difficulty in controlling the ball in the high wind and saw most of their shots whipped wide at either side of the posts.

Paul O'Keeffe did give Coolboy the lead with a goal in the third minute but that was soon wiped out with two goals by Robert Pender. Jonathan Kelly, Mick Nugent and Conor Devlin had points for Blessington with P.J.Mulhall and Steven Carter (two each) scoring for the home side. Half time score Blessington 2-3; Coolboy 1-4.

Eddy Boylan drover over a mighty point on the restart but Blessington spent the next 12 minutes trying to come to terms with the wind. In that time Coolboy had a couple of chances to get scores but missed out.

Eddy Boylan and David Boothman kept the clock ticking over with points before Michael Nugent stormed into the game, scoring four points on the trot between the 20th and the 25th minutes. It was match over at that stage; Sub Patrick O'Connor tacked on another point and almost with the last kick of the game Michael Gregan landed Coolboy's only point of the second half.

Despite the strong wind there was a lot of good football played in this game. This Blessington team is the only one that will be playing in the Junior Championship this year. The rest of the division is made up of Intermediate teams with one Senior team thrown in.

Blessington - Robert Gilligan; Ciaran Dempsey, Mark Richardson, Stephen Willoughby; Darragh Ryan, Barry O'Donovan, Conor Devlin; Sean Nolan, Eoin Devlin; David Boothman, Michael Nugent, Stephen Flannagan; Robbie Pender. Eddy Boylan and Jonathan Kelly.

Subs used - David Behan, Patrick McGee and Thomas Donoghue.

Coolboy - Walter Carter; Cillien Gregan, Anthony Holley, Aaron Kinsella; Jonathan Smith, Dan Nolan, Enda Gettings; Steven Carter, Michael Gregan; P.J. O'Keeffe, Johnny Willoughby, Brendan Behan; Paul O'Keeffe, P.J. Mulhall, Kevin O'Keeffe. Sub - Wayne Kinsella